Sally
by corrupt blondie
Summary: BC FEMSLASH! Sally is a not so ordinary imaginary friend that torments Cordelia. Will Buffy's love save Cordelia after the slayer finds out Sally's true identity?
1. Sally

TITLE: Sally  
  
AUTHOR: corrupt-blondie  
  
RATING: R  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing besides Sally.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just an idea I had that I had to put into a story. It's weird and doesn't actually have a point but I don't care. Also, the Cordelia in my story is far from the actual in the show. In this story, Cordelia is weak when we all know the survivor she really is. So just let that slide because she has to be weak for the story to work.  
  
FEEDBACK: Would be nice. Hate it? Tell me. Love it? Tell me. If if makes you want to run into the looney bin because it's so terrible? I'm not fussed.  
  
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Cordelia entered her low-rent apartment after a hard day at work. Just a little over a week until graduation Cordelia thought over and over in her brain. After that I can get out of Sunnyhell for good, Cordelia added. She looked down to see a cockroach scuttle across the floor and disappear into the crack in the wall. Cordelia sighed dejectedly. No matter how much she cleaned, how many bug-traps she set up, a little cockroach will make an appearance to mock her. This is your life, Cordelia. Look at what you are reduced to, Cordelia. She thought she was going insane when she could have sworn that one cockroach was laughing at her.  
  
After taking off her jacket to reveal her waitress uniform, Cordelia headed to the bathroom to start a shower. The hot water poured down on her body and Cordelia imagined she was in her bathroom at her old house, but the hot water would always last for about ten minutes so Cordelia hurried with the shampoo and conditioner. By the time the hot water ran out, Cordelia was rinsing the soap off her body.  
  
Wrapping a towel around her body, Cordelia looked at the mirror and saw not only her reflection, but also someone she always tried to forget. A black- haired woman with crystal blue eyes pierced through Cordelia's heart. Her pale white skin glowed under the light from the bathroom.  
  
"Hey, Cordelia." The woman smiled, but her eyes were so hollow.  
  
"Why is it you always come around when I feel like crap?" Cordelia questioned.  
  
"Sorry, but you always bring me out when you feel like crap. Not my fault when you feel like shit everyday." The woman replied.  
  
"Whatever. I just want you to go away." Cordelia sighed. She didn't want to talk to this person.  
  
"My, Cordelia. I think you've gained some pounds since I saw you last." The woman responded.  
  
"Don't." Cordelia pleaded. She couldn't handle this again.  
  
"Just making an observation." The woman replied, stepping closer to Cordelia. "Are those bags under your eyes? Wow, working those long hours really make you look like you've dragged through shit."  
  
"I don't want to do this, Sally." Cordelia begged.  
  
"Well, someone needs to tell you these things. Since everyone else is talking behind your back, then it must be up to me to say it to your face." Sally answered. "I think you know what they say, Cordelia. I think you just want to pretend that they don't." Sally whispered in her Cordelia's ear. "They all know what you really are. a brainless whore that will never amount to anything in her life and will be forgotten by graduation. What they don't know is what you do to numb the pain growing here." Sally pointed to Cordelia's brain. "And here." Her finger then pointed to the brunette's heart.  
  
"Please." Cordelia whispered, tears stinging her eyes, "Please stop."  
  
"We held such promise, Cordelia." Sally continued. "We could have gone places but you had to screw us over when you got horny with Xander."  
  
"It wasn't like that, Sally." Cordelia whispered, "I thought I loved him."  
  
"Yeah, and see how that turned out?" Sally scoffed. "You meant nothing to him, Cordelia. He chose that nerd, Willow, over you. You meant nothing to him and his friends. You saw how easily they shut you out of their lives."  
  
"I cut myself out." Cordelia corrected.  
  
"You prevented the inevitable. You knew they were going to cut you out so you did it for them to spare yourself the pain." The other woman stated.  
  
Cordelia couldn't take it anymore. Sally's words were voicing her insecurities and it was cutting her to the bone.  
  
"I see that you need to get dressed." Sally observed. "I'll be out in what you call that shit box of a living room."  
  
When Sally was gone, Cordelia opened up the medicine cabinet to find a couple bottles of prescription drugs. A couple of co-workers told her that they helped relieve pain, and help function properly. She opened one bottle and poured the contents in her mouth. Cordelia took a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniel's and began to drink greedily to wash down the pills. She ignored the burning sensation in her mouth and throat.  
  
Sally has always been in her life. Always mocking her and pointing out all the things wrong about her and her body. Too fat, Cordelia. You're a slut, Cordelia. You're a fucking nobody, Cordelia. You'll never amount to anything, Cordelia.  
  
Sally was there on the holidays when her parents were away. She was always there when she looked in the mirror. Sally was always three steps behind Cordelia wherever Cordelia went. Always there when Cordelia was at her lowest just to spit on her for good measure. Always there to make Cordelia's life a living hell.  
  
Cordelia finished putting on her clothes and brushed her hair and teeth before slowly making her way to the living room. When she reached the end of the hall and peered around, she saw the other woman sitting on her ratty couch smoking.  
  
"Took you long enough." Sally stated. "Oh, I see our Cordelia has been trying to numb the pain again."  
  
"Fuck you." Cordelia seethed.  
  
"Rather not." The other woman replied while inhaling the nicotine from her cigarette. "Wouldn't want to get all those nasty germs from all the other men you've slept with."  
  
"What did I ever to do to you to deserve this?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"I'm here so you will never be alone since everyone else leaves you." Sally answered.  
  
"I have finals tomorrow. I need to sleep." Cordelia responded.  
  
"Like you're smart enough to pass." Sally sneered. "You're good for one thing, Cordelia, and that's to look pretty. Even then you screwed that up. No one cares if you have a brain. They only care about is whether you're a good lay or not."  
  
Cordelia didn't respond to the other woman, she only sat down on the couch beside her. She opened the drawer of the table next to the couch and pulled out a mirror, a dollar bill, and a little bag of cocaine.  
  
"So sad you're reduced to this, Cordelia." Sally stated, not looking at Cordelia, but continued to smoke.  
  
"Shut up." Cordelia whispered before separating the white powder into three rows. She rolled up the dollar bill and sniffed the first row.  
  
"You know, when you were getting mauled by your customers during work. Buffy and her little group of friends were planning an attack on the Mayor. They're doing something important and what are you doing? Getting fucked up so you can pretend that everything is all right." Sally replied after Cordelia went down for the second row.  
  
"Shut up." Cordelia repeated. "You tell me that everyday since I found out Buffy's identity. You tell me everyday how much I'm a screw up. I get the fucking picture!" Cordelia screamed.  
  
"Well someone needs to tell you these things because you are doing nothing to change!" Sally yelled right back at the brunette.  
  
"No! You're sadistic! You like driving me insane! You like doing this to me!" Cordelia screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "The only time you were nice to me was when I lost the baby! Xander's baby," Cordelia finished with a whisper.  
  
"You were already in pain." Sally replied.  
  
"That's when you said you loved me. You're fucking sick." Cordelia seethed.  
  
"Face it. I'm all that you got." Sally responded knowingly.  
  
Cordelia finished the last row of cocaine before putting everything away. She got up and headed to her room, but turned around and said, "You may be all that I've got, Sally, but that doesn't mean I have to like you being around."  
  
A couple days later, Cordelia was walking home from another late night of work. It was nightfall and Cordelia was thankful her apartment was close to her work. She turned the corner when a demon jumped at her. Cordelia wanted for it to be a vampire because she was prepared for a vampire. She didn't know what to do when she heard a voice. Sally's voice.  
  
"Don't you wish you actually knew how to defend yourself?" Sally called from behind her. "You are so weak, Cordelia. You were meant to die. All these times that you were saved it was just preventing the inevitable."  
  
Cordelia didn't respond to Sally, but closed her eyes when the demon prepared to swing. When she felt nothing, she opened her eyes to see Buffy and the demon fighting.  
  
"Buffy always comes to save your life. I wonder what would happen if she never showed up. Why waste her energy in saving you, Cordelia? You're such a waste in this world." Sally stated as she walked closer to Cordelia.  
  
After Buffy killed the demon, she went to Cordelia to see if she was all right. She noticed unshed tears in the brunette's eyes and wondered what was wrong with Cordelia.  
  
"Cordelia?" Buffy asked with no such luck when Cordelia didn't respond.  
  
"Cordy?" Buffy tried again, this time lightly touching the taller woman's arm.  
  
"Shut the fuck up!" Cordelia screamed, turning her head to side as if she was talking to someone that wasn't visible to Buffy's eyes.  
  
"Excuse me?" Buffy questioned a bit hurt by Cordelia's response.  
  
"I'm sorry, Buffy. I wasn't talking to you." Cordelia answered.  
  
"Wow. Someone is talking to you, Cordelia. Someone might actually care if you live or die." Sally observed, noticing something in Buffy's eyes that intrigued her.  
  
"Cordelia? What's wrong? Who were talking to?" Buffy asked, slightly worried about the brunette.  
  
"Buffy, you're hurt." Cordelia observed the long gash on the smaller woman's left arm, ignoring Buffy's question.  
  
"It will heal by tomorrow." Buffy replied.  
  
"It might get infected. I'll clean it up for you." Cordelia said.  
  
"That's not all you want to do." Sally stated, but only Cordelia heard it.  
  
"Okay. What are you doing here, Cordelia?" Buffy inquired. This was no where near Cordelia's house.  
  
"I. I live around here." Cordelia whispered as she headed to her apartment with Buffy at her heels  
  
"You do?" Buffy questioned. "What about your house? And car?"  
  
"Xander never told you." Cordelia stated with slight shock that her ex- boyfriend would actually keep his word.  
  
"About what?" The blonde slayer inquired.  
  
"The IRS took everything. My father didn't pay his taxes for over ten years." Cordelia answered. She continued after Buffy's gasp of shock. "My father was sent to jail and my mother fled to Europe. Since I'm of age to be an adult, she figured that she didn't need to be around, or want to for that matter. So she left and I had to find a place to live. I first started to live in a motel until I saved up enough money to get an apartment. I've been working two jobs so I could get enough money for a prom dress, but I didn't have enough. Xander finished the payments." Cordelia sighed as she turned the keys to unlock her door. "I still work two jobs so I can pay for this place."  
  
Buffy cringed when she saw a cockroach crawl across the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry about the bug problem. I don't have enough money for an exterminator." Cordelia offered sadly when she noticed Buffy's expression.  
  
"Just be surprised that she even followed you home, Cordelia." Sally stated, taking her normal spot on the couch.  
  
"Shut up." Cordelia whispered.  
  
"What?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Nothing." Cordelia dismissed. "Make yourself comfortable while I get the first-aid kit in the bathroom."  
  
"I wonder why Buffy is even here." Sally asked more to herself than Cordelia.  
  
Cordelia reappeared in the living room with the first-aid kit in hand. She sat on the edge of the table while she cleaned the wound. Buffy winced slightly as the chemicals stung her wound. Cordelia smiled softly, thinking that it was cute that even a slayer didn't like the chemicals.  
  
"God, Cordelia. How pathetic can you get when you're lusting after Buffy like this? Now that you fucked every male, it's time to move on to girls? Tisk Tisk." Sally said as she looked up close to Buffy. Cordelia ignored her as she continued to dress Buffy's wound.  
  
"I wonder what she will think of your drinking, or maybe the drugs. This will be interesting." Sally resigned to the loveseat in the corner of the room, quietly observing the two women.  
  
"How long do you work each day?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Right after school until about eleven." Cordelia answered.  
  
"Maybe you should tell her about binges of drugs and booze. Or maybe you come home around two in the morning because you spent the night over some guy's place. I'm sure she would like to know if she's going to fuck you tonight." Sally piped in from her resigned spot in the corner of the room.  
  
When Cordelia finished dressing the wound, she closed the kit and about to put in away when a small hand grabbed her wrist.  
  
"Buffy?" Cordelia inquired.  
  
"You can put that away later." Buffy stated, looking into Cordelia's eyes hoping the brunette could see in her eyes what she was feeling.  
  
"Okay." Cordelia drawled. Out of the corner of her eye, Cordelia saw Sally smoking again. It was weird, whatever pains Sally inflicted on herself, Cordelia felt and vice versa. So she felt the smoke filling her lungs and she couldn't deny the feeling calmness of her nerves from the nicotine.  
  
"Cordelia, I have something to tell you." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah, that I'm a raging dike and I want you to be my first." Sally sneered.  
  
Cordelia continued to ignore the other woman that only she could hear or see and replied, "All right."  
  
"I've been having dreams about you ever since Homecoming." Buffy explained in a jumbled rush.  
  
"Oh." Was all Cordelia could reply to Buffy's previous statement.  
  
"I freaked you out." Buffy smiled in spite of herself.  
  
"No. It's just. I kind of had these feelings for you for sometime now." Cordelia admitted.  
  
"How sweet. I think I'm going to cry tears of joy." Sally sarcastically remarked. However, she stayed quiet when she watched the two women slowly lean into kiss. It was soft and sweet at first, but the passion, desire, and need for human contact grew with each second. Clothes were slowly starting to be peeled off their bodies and both made their way to Cordelia's bedroom.  
  
Sally smiled at the door hearing the screams of ecstasy and said, "Interesting on how you're going to deal with this one, Cordelia. I'll be here in the morning when you wake up."  
  
Cordelia woke in her bed with slender but strong arms wrapped protectively around her abdomen. She smiled at the blonde resting next to her and noticed the small smile on her face. She pulled out of Buffy's arms with difficulty, careful not to wake the slayer. She took a robe and wrapped it around her body and headed to the bathroom. Her bare feet padded down the hall, avoiding the little bugs scampering on the floor.  
  
She turned on the sink and splashed cold water on her face to wake herself up. She looked in the mirror and she wasn't surprised to see Sally smirking at her.  
  
"Interesting." Sally remarked. "That she said she loves you."  
  
"You heard." Cordelia stated.  
  
"Yes. I wonder if she would still love you if she knew the real you." Sally replied, lighting up a cigarette.  
  
Cordelia didn't have the courage to reply because she was scared that Sally might be right.  
  
"You see. if Buffy knew about your secrets. she would be ashamed that she ever went to bed with you. She would think that she degraded herself to think she could ever love a piece of worthless trash like you." Sally added.  
  
"You don't know that." Cordelia said, her voice breaking.  
  
"I do. You don't deserve someone like Buffy. She's too good for you. Hell, someone like Faith is too good for you." Sally laughed at the idea, completely ignoring Cordelia's tears.  
  
"I know." The brunette whispered sadly.  
  
"Now. how are we going to tell the slayer this." Sally pondered up some ideas. "You have to protect her from yourself, Cordelia. You are on a downward spiral. Do you want to take her with you?"  
  
"No." Cordelia answered.  
  
"That's my girl." Sally smiled. "You got any ideas?"  
  
"I'll just tell her." Cordelia responded.  
  
"Tell her that you two can't be together. Perfect." Sally patted Cordelia's back. "I suggest you relax and prep yourself for a little check in to heartbreak hotel." Then Sally left the bathroom so Cordelia was left to be alone with her thoughts.  
  
About a half an hour later, Cordelia was sitting on the couch nursing her tea and Sally was sitting in the loveseat.  
  
"You're doing the right thing, Cordelia." Sally offered when she noticed how Cordelia was backing out of the plan.  
  
"I just don't know. She. she made me feel alive." Cordelia responded.  
  
"This is good for both of you. If she finds out about your darker side, then she won't be near you to make you feel alive." Sally replied, using imaginary quotes with her hands on the word alive.  
  
Cordelia sighed until she heard the door to her bedroom open.  
  
"Hey." Buffy smiled.  
  
"Hey." Cordelia responded.  
  
"I woke up and you weren't next to me. I guess I worried." Buffy admitted sheepishly, walking closer to the brunette sitting on the couch.  
  
"I needed to freshen up." Cordelia replied, not looking at the blonde. "Sorry."  
  
"It's okay. It just. well brought up old memories." Buffy said softly, remembering when Angel left her or should she say Angelus?  
  
"You want some tea?" Cordelia offered.  
  
"Sure." The slayer answered. She started to notice the sullen look on the brunette's face.  
  
"Just get it over with!" Sally demanded impatiently. "We have places to be Cordelia. Like work for instance."  
  
"Buffy. we need to talk." Cordelia said while offering the cup of tea to Buffy. "About last night."  
  
"It's was amazing, Cor." Buffy interrupted, hoping she could de-rail Cordelia from what she was about to say next. Nothing good ever came out of those four little words.  
  
"Yes, it was." Cordelia smiled sadly, looking at her cup.  
  
Buffy leaned over and lifted Cordelia's face to meet her eyes, "I meant what I said, Cordelia. I do love you."  
  
Cordelia wanted to jump with joy, but she took one look at Sally and was instantly deflated from any amount of happiness.  
  
Buffy was worried at Cordelia's expression and repeated her previous statement more firmly; "I love you, Cordelia."  
  
Tears stung Cordelia's eyes but she willed them to never escape, her heart breaking when she replied, "I don't."  
  
"What?" Buffy recoiled her hand from Cordelia's face.  
  
"I don't love you." Cordelia stated when a single tear broke free from the damn that Cordelia had built out of her own will.  
  
"You don't mean that." Buffy observed. "I can see it in your eyes."  
  
"You're wrong." Cordelia replied. "You can't love me."  
  
"I can't love you?" Buffy inquired.  
  
"Come on, Cordelia. Keep up the Oscar winning performance." Sally piped up.  
  
"You can't love me because you don't know me, Buffy." Cordelia clarified.  
  
"I want to get to know you more then. I know what I feel, Cordelia." Buffy stated adamantly.  
  
"What we had, Buffy." Cordelia put heavy emphasis on had. "Is what people would call a one night stand. I know about the hungry and horny thing after slaying. You just killed a demon and the rush. then you saw me. I think we all know what you can get out of that equation."  
  
"That's not true. I know what I feel." Buffy pushed.  
  
"And I do too. You were nothing more than a rumble in the sack, Buffy. I'm sorry if you felt differently and I led you on." Cordelia replied, using her acting skills to make it believable.  
  
Buffy could feel her heart being shattered to a million pieces when she looked at Cordelia's eyes for confirmation. She stood up, her lower lip quivering, and responded, "Fine."  
  
When Buffy went into the bedroom to get dressed, Cordelia allowed another tear to escape her eyes. She wouldn't allow herself to break down into tears in front of Buffy because then the slayer would know that she put on a show. She heard clapping and Cordelia turned her head to see Sally giving her a standing ovation.  
  
"Bravo! Bravo! Cordelia you deserve an Emmy for that performance." Sally smiled. "I got an idea for our future."  
  
"That would be?" Cordelia questioned.  
  
"Hollywood, baby. You're going to be an actress, Cordelia." Sally answered excitedly.  
  
Cordelia looked up to see Buffy looking at with confusion, "Who were you talking to?"  
  
"Myself." Cordelia answered. Buffy didn't falter and wasn't about to leave until Cordelia would tell her the truth about what's bothering her. "Leave, Buffy." Cordelia demanded without any emotion betraying her voice. She noticed how her lover's blue eyes filled with sadness that was obviously there because of Cordelia. Buffy turned around and left Cordelia's apartment without another word.  
  
Cordelia sat on the couch in silence. Sally didn't dare to speak but only observed how the brunette opened the drawer that held her cocaine and set up five rows. Cordelia rolled up the dollar bill and was about to sniff the first row when she hesitated.  
  
"Go on, Cordelia. It's the only way to take away the pain." Sally cooed.  
  
"I fucking hate you." Cordelia seethed but didn't look at Sally as she sniffed up the first row. Then the second row was gone as the first. "It hurts, Sally. Why does it hurt so much when it was for her own good?"  
  
"It's meant to because you allowed yourself to be vulnerable." Sally stated. "All it had to be was a cheap fuck but you had to go about making it a loving experience. You brought this on yourself, Cordelia."  
  
Cordelia continued on her fourth row, ignoring the sweat forming over body like a second skin. She ignored the fact that she was burning up or that she was getting dizzy. After the last of her cocaine was gone, the pain was still inside her.  
  
"Cordelia, years of pain won't go away with five rows of cocaine. The pain will never go away." Sally whispered in Cordelia's ear.  
  
"I didn't feel any pain when I was with Buffy. I felt like I meant something in this world, and only she could do that and because of you I pushed her away." Cordelia replied, getting up to search for the Jack Daniel's. "It's all your fault!"  
  
"It really isn't, Cordelia. You screwed yourself over." Sally smiled, "I was just along for the ride."  
  
"No. you always made me feel like shit every day for seems like forever. Can I ever get a fucking break from you? You ran out of new material so you just repeat the old ones over and over and over." Cordelia took a swig of the alcohol. She gathered up all the prescription bottles and stumbled back to the living room where Sally was waiting.  
  
Cordelia sat down on the couch and poured all pills on the table. Her shaky hands broke open the capsules with a razor, and dumped the powder in the bottle of whiskey. All the while mumbling incoherent insults at the other occupant in the room.  
  
"I never her hurt you the way you hurt me." Cordelia's voice was slurred.  
  
"You do, Cordelia. The painful thoughts you think of yourself even when I'm gone hurts me. The way you shut yourself out from others hurts me. Being near you hurts me." Sally admitted. "The only thing you ever give me is pain."  
  
"Well, I'm going to make the pain stop. I'm sending you away for good." Cordelia stated as she finished with putting the drugs in the alcohol. She took a violent swig of the whiskey before adding, "Eighteen years of your shit is going to end right now. You are going to be gone and we will both be at peace."  
  
Sally watched as Cordelia finished the rest of the bottle. Cordelia stood in the middle of the room looking at Sally with tears in her eyes. "You're going to be free, Sally." The amount of drugs was starting to slow Cordelia's heart and slowly reach her brain. Cordelia started to stagger and Sally leapt from her chair to catch her. She carried the brunette over to the couch, the drugs starting to affect Sally as well. She lay on top of Cordelia, resting her head on the taller woman's chest. Both of their breathing grew softer and it was only Cordelia lying on the couch because Sally was indeed set free.  
  
Cordelia heard the faint knocking on her door, but she couldn't get up to answer it nor did she want to. Her body started to jerk as her brain was sending mixed signals to her body due to the drugs. Her skin grew a deathly pale and her body temperature decreased rapidly. She didn't even notice Buffy storming in her apartment and instantly went to her aid. She saw the edge of her vision being black and it was increasing rapidly. She couldn't see Buffy calling the ambulance or feel Buffy's hands trying to restrain her. Her vision was getting cloudy, so she couldn't see tears in Buffy's eyes nor the pain lying in the windows to her soul. Eventually Cordelia's brain shut down and her body lied still. Her eyes staring at the ceiling, her skin blue and cold. The last thing she heard was Buffy calling her name, pleading for her to hold on. 


	2. Aftermath

TITLE: Aftermath  
  
AUTHOR: corrupt-blondie  
  
RATING: PG-13  
  
SUMMARY: After finding Cordelia, Buffy calls 911. They do get there in time and save Cordelia. However, she's unconscious for the time being and stays that way until after the 'Graduation' fiasco  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a sequel to 'Sally'. I know it seemed like Cordelia died, but I toyed with the idea that she survived. Actually someone else gave me the suggestion and I went with it. So here it is.  
  
FEEDBACK: It could either boost my ego or help me for futures stories. Either way is a plus.  
  
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After making a panicky 911 call, Buffy made her way back to Cordelia prone form. There were tears in Buffy's eyes, "Please, Cordy. don't leave me."  
  
How could she just loose Cordelia when she just found her? When Cordelia sent her away, Buffy was consumed with her thoughts. About halfway to her house, the blonde slayer came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to give up her relationship with Cordelia as she had done with Angel. Buffy ran full speed back to Cordelia's apartment ready to talk to Cordelia when she found her love convulsing on the sofa.  
  
Buffy held Cordelia's cold hand, choking back a sob she whispered desperately, "Don't leave me."  
  
The door opened and two paramedics appear with a gurney and their supplies.  
  
The one EMT with dirty blonde hair motioned for Buffy to get back and the other bulky paramedic went to work on Cordelia's body. He checked for a pulse and when he found that there was none he started doing CPR.  
  
Buffy stood on the other side of the room with numbness coursing through her body. She noticed the bulky paramedic stop CPR and the dirty blonde EMT unbuttoned Cordelia's shirt. He put the patches of the defibrillator over the woman's heart and her right flank just over her ribs. They shocked her and the machine said no pulse, so the paramedics did it again. By the fourth jolt of electricity, much to Buffy's joy, the machine announced there was a heartbeat.  
  
The two paramedics lowered the gurney and placed Cordelia's body on top. They strapped her in and headed out.  
  
"Could I go with her?" Buffy asked in a small voice.  
  
The bulky man looked at her, "You family?"  
  
"No," the slayer answered, "her parents are out on vacation and I'm. her best friend."  
  
"Okay. You can come," The smaller EMT said with sympathetic eyes.  
  
In the ambulance, the bulky man looked at the dirty blonde EMT, "I tasted alcohol when I gave her CPR. We should start a stomach pump."  
  
Buffy sat there in bewilderment. Cordelia drank alcohol? Apparently Cordelia was right when she said that Buffy didn't know her. She watched as the smaller man stuck a tube down Cordelia's mouth and the bulky one started an IV. The bulky man turned Cordelia's body to the side and placed a bucket near her mouth as the blonde technician pumped air into the cheerleader's stomach.  
  
Finally reaching the hospital, the paramedics rushed Cordelia to the doctors that were waiting for her. Buffy followed them until she wasn't allowed. When she saw the doors close she turned and sat on a hospital chair. This was one of the very rare times when she felt helpless. Give her an apocalypse anytime, but when it came something of natural order she was absolutely useless.  
  
Her mind started to wander and she realized that so much has happened in the last 24 hours. First she saves Cordelia from a demon, then when Cordelia was dressing her wound they kissed, that kiss led to possibly one of the best experiences of her life. Then she announces to Cordelia she loves her, but Cordelia sends her away. When she comes back, she finds Cordelia's body jerking and shaking. Finally the paramedics come, they get a heartbeat going, and manage to bring Cordelia from critical to serious. Buffy sighed with only one thought in running around through her mind, Cordelia better pull through this.  
  
Buffy thought to call Willow to let her know where she was. Finding a payphone, Buffy dialed the redhead's number.  
  
"Hello?" Willow greeted.  
  
"Hey Will," Buffy replied.  
  
The amateur witch said, "What's up, Buffy?"  
  
The blonde slayer sighed forlornly, "Cordelia's in the hospital. I'm here waiting for the doctors to come back."  
  
"What? Why?" Willow asked in a concerned voice.  
  
"I don't know exactly," Buffy was perturbed by that fact, "I stayed over her apartment. We argued the next morning, and when I came back. she was convulsing."  
  
Willow was confused, "Apartment? Stayed over?"  
  
"I'll explain everything. Just. just can you come here," The petite blonde whispered softly.  
  
"Got it," Willow stated, "I'll be there as quick as I can. See you then, Buffy."  
  
"Bye," Buffy hung up the phone.  
  
After that, Buffy went back to the chair she was originally sitting in and stared at the wall and that's how Willow found her best friend about 15 minutes later.  
  
"Buffy?" Willow questioned softly.  
  
The slayer in question was brought out of her reverie, "Hey."  
  
"All right," Willow took a seat next to Buffy, "What's up?"  
  
Buffy sighed, "You know how I told you I had feelings for Cordelia?" When Willow nodded, Buffy continued, "Well I kind of acted on those feelings last night." Her best friend looked shocked but she was happy for Buffy, "I was patrolling when I came across this demon about to attack Cordelia. It was the bad part of town, so I didn't understand why she was there. She told me her father lost all their money because of tax evasion, so he went to jail and her mother left her to fend for herself. Cordelia resides in a studio apartment, and she took me there to fix up a cut I got from the demon. She was about to put her kit away when I kissed her. We went into her room and well." Buffy blushed, "the next morning we argued and she sent me away. I told her I love her and she replied that I didn't know who she was." The blonde slayer held back a sob, "I came back about 15 minutes later, and I saw her there. Her body was withering and convulsion and I couldn't do anything. Then.." Buffy stifled a tiny whimper, "then she just stopped moving."  
  
Willow took it all in, but when she regarded Buffy's emotional stated, the redhead gathered her best friend in her arms. As soon as she felt human contact, it made all the emotions running through Buffy's body real. She couldn't hold I back any longer, so she bawled and whimpered, and sobbed.  
  
It seemed like forever before the doctor came through the doors. Buffy and Willow instantly stood up while Buffy wiped her eyes to rid herself of the tears.  
  
"I'm Dr. Stevenson," the doctor looked at the two young women, "you family?"  
  
"Family friends," Willow answered, "her family is out of Sunydale on vacation."  
  
Dr. Stevenson gazed at them for a moment before mentally shrugging, "Well, Ms. Chase seems to be fine," the blonde woman let out an audible sigh of relief, "she unconscious at the moment, but that's from an overdose of prescription drugs," the two women's eyes bugged out in shock but the doctor continued, "there was traces of Prozac, Ativan, Ultram, Diazepam, and Ambien in her bloodstream. None of which were prescribed for her. Then there was alcohol in her system and cocaine."  
  
Buffy just stood there, staring at the doctor like her grew a second head, not believing Cordelia would use drugs and alcohol. However, she went back to the scene where she found Cordelia's body. There was empty capsules of pills, an empty bottle of whiskey, and a rolled up dollar bill with a mirror that had remnants of white powder. She really didn't know Cordelia at all. That thought alone made her stomach churn and her heart stop for a brief moment.  
  
"When she wakes," the doctor added, "I'm going to recommend her for a psychological evaluation."  
  
"Okay, doctor," Willow replied, knowing Buffy wasn't going to talk after the load of information she just digested. "By the way, my name is Willow Rosenberg and this is Buffy Summers."  
  
He acknowledged them and turned to leave before Buffy spoke, "Can. can I see her?"  
  
The doctor looked hesitant, but one look in the blonde woman's eyes told him that she needed it, "Sure, but it will be limited. She's in room 217."  
  
Buffy turned to Willow and asked in a whisper, "Walk me there?"  
  
"Of course," Willow stated as she wrapped around the smaller woman's waist in a sign of comfort.  
  
They made the walk in silence, and as they made their way to room 217 Buffy was reluctant to walk in at first. However, she swallowed the feelings that held her back and entered the room where the woman she proclaimed to love rests.  
  
She gasped upon seeing Cordelia lying on the hospital bed. The cheerleader looked so frail and cadaverous compared to the Cordelia she first met in sophomore year. There was all these machines hooked up to her, but Buffy made her way next to Cordelia's motionless form. The slayer grasped the larger, well-manicured hand into her own and she just stared at the brunette.  
  
"You were right," She spoke softly, "about not knowing you. I knew parts of you, and I love those aspects of you. That façade of yours was easily detectable, and I wanted to know what you kept hidden from everyone. I'm jealous of Xander," Buffy let out a chuckle at her statement, "he got to know you more than any of us. Then when you broke up. you became distant from us, but who came blame you?" The slayer let out a sigh, "I never knew that you were in that kind of pain. the drugs, the alcohol and all the other things that I probably don't know about. You wanted me to stay away from that. the agony you were in." the petite blonde trailed of.  
  
Buffy took a calming breath and continued, "I could have helped you. I will help you, but you need to come back to us. to me." The slayer's broke into a whisper, "I love you. No matter how much you want to deny it I do love you."  
  
She was so emotionally drained from the day's events that she rested her head at the edge of Cordelia's bed. Her eye lids grew heavy and she was off into la la land. Buffy never knew she was asleep until she felt someone shaking her. Rousing from her nap, Buffy's foggy eyes looked at Willow.  
  
"You have a nice nap?" Willow asked with a small smile.  
  
Buffy rubbed her eyes a bit before replying, "How long was I out?"  
  
"Half an hour tops," the redhead answered.  
  
"Was there any change with Cordelia?" Buffy mentally kicked herself for possibly missing a crucial moment in her love's condition.  
  
Willow looked sympathetic, "No. I came in here because we have to go and plan on stopping the Ascension of the Mayor."  
  
The small slayer looked torn between staying by Cordelia's side and going with Willow, but she figured she could actually do something with the latter. Buffy got up, placed a small but tender kiss on the cheerleader's forehead and departed with Willow.  
  
Days past and Cordelia never awakened from her drug-induced slumber. That of which took a toll on Buffy's emotional stability, but the slayer knew she had to hold it together for the Ascension Then Angel was poisoned by Faith, and Buffy had to fight her sister slayer which led the brunette into a coma. Buffy, having no other choice, sacrificed herself for Angel because the only cure was Slayer's blood. At one point in time, all three girls were in the hospital, but Buffy was the first to wake. However, Faith didn't have the luxury and Cordelia still was out. Buffy and the others fought the Mayor, blew up the school, and that was the final battle of their childhood. The blonde slayer managed to snag Cordelia's diploma, considering the other girl couldn't collect in on her own. Now, Buffy strolled into room 217, expecting Cordelia to be out. Much to her surprise, the other girl was looking at her with very tired eyes.  
  
"Buffy," Cordelia croaked out.  
  
Buffy's heart fluttered. She never thought she'd get to hear that heavenly voice again, "You're awake."  
  
"That I am," the brunette replied absently, "What day is it?"  
  
"Thursday. You've been out since Sunday," Buffy answered softly.  
  
Cordelia looked dejected, "I missed graduation."  
  
"Nothing to miss," the slayer responded absently, "we fought the Mayor and blew up the school."  
  
"And Faith?" the cheerleader questioned cautiously which put Buffy in a stupor.  
  
She tried to hide the shock, "In a coma. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Before she turned evil," Cordelia took a labored breath, "we were friends. I stayed with her when my parent first lost their money. Her becoming distant from me and pushing me away caused me to leave and get my own place."  
  
"You two were friends?" Buffy asked astounded.  
  
Cordelia looked at her with resigned eyes, "Yet another thing you don't know about me." She paused, taking in her surrounding, "So. since I'm here that's means you know about my dirty little secret."  
  
"Yes, I do," Buffy answered softly, "and I'm going to help you."  
  
The cheerleader looked near tears, "Why would you want to?"  
  
"Because I love you," the slayer stated in a heartfelt manner.  
  
Cordelia brushed-off the statement, "You don't."  
  
"You can't dictate how I should feel and how I shouldn't," Buffy argued deftly.  
  
"You love the image I portray," Cordelia retorted, "not me. No one could ever love me."  
  
The slayer looked aghast, "How could you say that?"  
  
"It's true," Cordelia conceded, "from my parents, to the people I surround myself from day to day."  
  
Buffy took a seat next Cordelia's bed, "Well your wrong. I may not know all there is about you, but some of those hidden qualities show through from time to time. Those qualities is what made me fall in love with you."  
  
The cheerleader looked near tears, "I'm so sorry for ever pushing you away. I. I was just on a path of self-destruction and I didn't want you to go down with me. I wanted you to stay, I really did," Cordelia started to sob and Buffy quickly wrapped the other girl in her strong arms. She could hear faint mumbling that was occasionally interrupted by bubbling hiccups.  
  
Cordelia, not caring that she was breaking down in Buffy's arms continued to mumble about certain thing, "And then Sally told me-"  
  
That got Buffy's full attention instantly, and trying to hide the pin prick of jealously, but her confusion covered it perfectly, "Who's Sally?" 


	3. Road to Recovery

~*~  
  
"Who's Sally?" It rang through Cordelia's head rapidly. Did she really talk about Sally? Cordelia immediately backtracked, she wasn't going to have Buffy thinking she was nuts.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Cordelia questioned.  
  
Buffy, however, saw the fear in the cheerleader's eyes and knew that she was going to cover up this Sally girl. It plagued her mind though. Who's Sally? How come I never met her? Are Sally and Cordelia together? Did they break up and Cordelia came to me? The thoughts were wedging their way into every corner of her brain. Without realizing, a primal and animalistic surge of jealousy clawed to the surface. Cordelia was mine, she mentally growled.  
  
"One more time," Buffy pushed, "Who's Sally?"  
  
The former cheerleader did not want to discuss her crude imaginary 'friend', and she used the term friend very loosely, "I have no idea what you are talking about."  
  
"Cor." Buffy warned, her patience wearing thin.  
  
Figuring she wasn't getting out of the slayer's line of questioning, Cordelia sighed, "Just someone who's been in my life for as long as I can remember."  
  
It was an ambiguous statement and both of them knew it. The slayer, mind you, wasn't having any of that tete-de-tete crap they were playing. She tried to hide the small amount of begrudement towards Sally from arising so Cordelia couldn't see the green-eyed monster bubbling inside of her.  
  
"Buffy," the brunette pleaded, noticing that Buffy wasn't going to give up on the Sally situation, "please, let's talk about anything. just not her."  
  
Cordelia never begged so Buffy obliged reluctantly, but she decided she was going to find out about this Sally person later.  
  
When she noticed that Buffy was relenting, Cordelia daintily smiled towards the other girl, "So. you kicked demon ass at graduation?"  
  
The slayer was quiet for a second, her thoughts consumed of Sally and Cordelia, but answered, "Yeah, ass was kicked and the school was exploded."  
  
"Buffy," the cheerleader grinned, "you have a knack for putting schools in ruins. First the gym in LA, the old science lab at school last year, and finally the school itself. I'm impressed."  
  
The slayer chuckled, "It wasn't entirely my fault you know. I have valid reasons," she counted them on her fingers, "one. vampires, two. Frankenstein Daryl, and three. does huge demon ring a bell?"  
  
Cordelia giggled and the blonde soon followed. When the chuckles subsided the ex-cheerleader reached for Buffy's hand, "This is nice. laughing with you."  
  
"I agree," the blonde smiled.  
  
She tenderly grazed her thumb over Cordelia's hand and Buffy sigh happily. Things were far from being resolved, but sitting here. being Cordelia's presence made her content.  
  
~*~  
  
About an hour later, Willow answered her phone, "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Will," Buffy greeted cheerfully from a payphone at the hospital.  
  
"Hey, Buffy. What's with the happy?" Willow retorted playfully.  
  
Her best friend beamed but the novice witch couldn't see it, "She's awake."  
  
"That's good," the redhead replied, when she heard no response she asked, "isn't it?"  
  
Buffy exhaled forlornly, "It is. but she accidently told me about someone. that's been there all her life."  
  
"Buffy, don't worry, she's all about you," Willow comforted.  
  
"Who's Sally, Will?" the slayer inquired suddenly.  
  
Willow was dumbfounded by the abrupt change of subject, "Sally? Never heard of her."  
  
The blonde slayer was crestfallen. She was really hoping that Willow knew who this person was. What kind of person she is? What role does she play in Cordelia's life?  
  
"Hold on," Buffy could actually hear the wheels in the hacker's brain turning, "I remember Cordy talking about Sally when we were younger. She would always be talking to no one and when I asked her about it, she was confused that people couldn't see her. We were in elementary school, so I just thought Sally was an imaginary friend. When the kids teased her about it, Cordelia stopped mentioning Sally all together." Willow paused, "From what I recall, Sally wasn't the good kind of imaginary friend. I would go to the bathroom and hear Cordy crying in the next stall. begging for Sally to stop hurting her. After the kids teased her, Cordy instantly shut herself out from anyone, and became the Queen C you first met." The redhead sighed sadly, "Cordelia and I were friends once, but Sally made her turn away from me."  
  
Buffy thought about what Willow said before adding in her own thoughts on the matter, "When I saved her from that demon, she was looking to the side and her eyes were watering. I thought it was because of the demon, but when I called her name she screamed shut up. It wasn't to me though." All the pieces of the puzzle were coming together, "Then the next morning, she was looking at the lounge chair and talking to someone."  
  
"So Sally is still around?" Willow asked, pretty much knowing the answer already, "Poor Cordy."  
  
Buffy had gut feeling that Sally wasn't your ordinary imaginary companion, "Did Cordelia ever tell you what Sally looked like?"  
  
"Long, black hair and crystal blue eyes," the redhead offered right off the bat, "she also said Sally's eyes were hollow, like the sparkle just died. Back then, Sally was supposedly really tall, but that's because she was an adult and we were kids."  
  
The blonde woman was calculating all the recent information she just collected and asked Willow the one thought that has been badgering her mind, "What if Sally wasn't any simple imaginary friend?"  
  
"Where are you getting at, Buff?" the redhead asked her best friend.  
  
"Come on, Will. What imaginary friend's sole purpose is to bring down the person that supposedly made them up? Not to mention, why would the imaginary friend stay longer when they normally vanish before elementary school ends?"  
  
Willow seemed to be catching on the slayer's train of thought, "I'll research it on the net. Shouldn't you. go back to Cordelia? Sally might be there."  
  
Buffy's eyes widened in panic and quickly said bye to leave Willow with her work, but more importantly to get to Cordelia. Without realizing, her pace towards room 217 was getting quicker and her heart was thumping in her chest with a sickening slow rate as she opened the door. Seeing Cordelia, lying on the bed watching TV caused an audible sigh of relief from the petite woman.  
  
Hearing noise from the from the door, Cordelia turned her head and smiled at Buffy, "Hey."  
  
"Hey," Buffy strolled towards the bed, "who's Sally?"  
  
The brunette's eyes immediately glazed over with the mention of Sally, "Do you really want to know?"  
  
"Yes," Buffy pleaded, "who is she, Cor?"  
  
Cordelia breathed out heavily, "For as long as I can remember. Sally has been there. She was always there to make me feel worthless. When my parents left me with the maid on the holidays. she was there telling me how much they didn't love me. It was all she talked about. people didn't love me, that I was a mistake for my parents, and people used me." Cordelia wasn't shedding any tears when she was explaining Sally, her voice took an eerie, detached manner as she continued, "As I grew older, Sally noticed that the parent angle wasn't working anymore so she used other material. I have no true friends, that the group of people I surrounded myself with were using me. Same with the boyfriends I had. they didn't love me because I was only eye candy for them. Then she started on my physical appearance." The ex-cheerleader paused, "When you came to Sunnydale and I found out about your identity, she told me how useless I was in the world. Then I got together with Xander, and she was quiet for a while. Unfortunately, that didn't last long as she noticed how he would stare longingly at you. and the kiss with Willow. well that was more ammunition for her, now wasn't it?"  
  
Buffy was silent as Cordelia's words swam around in her head. She almost didn't hear Cordelia begin to speak again.  
  
" She made me break it off with you. Saying that I couldn't bring you into my downward spiral. so I did. After you left, I basically was tired of her. so I decided to set her free. Which I did, and I'm ecstatic by that fact. but I'm worried." Cordelia's voice cracked, and her cool façade was broken, "I'm worried because I survived which means she had to have survived right? This was all for nothing if she's still here. What's the point if I can't escape her, Buffy. What's the point?"  
  
"If she is here," the slayer replied, "I'll make her leave."  
  
Cordelia looked at the determination in the other girl's eyes and relaxed because someone was there for her this time around when the first time she was all alone. Tingles coursed her spine, she discerned that this was the first time she was happy. She's actually worth something to someone, and that was new to her.  
  
Buffy was dazed with her thoughts so Cordelia got her attention, "You want to lay with me?"  
  
Buffy was brought out of her reverie by Cordelia's question and the slayer beamed, "Sure."  
  
The blonde took off her shoes as Cordelia pulled the blankets aside and Buffy got herself comfortable on the bed, unconsciously snuggling to the taller girl's body frame. She lied on her left side so she could face the former cheerleader, casually wrapping Cordelia in her arms, and rested her head on the nook of the other girl's neck and collarbone. Buffy inhaled deeply, relishing the aroma of Cordelia. True, the other girl didn't have any fragrances on considering she was in the hospital, but the natural scent that the ex-cheerleader creates was better than any man-made perfume in Buffy's opinon.  
  
They were silent for the longest time, both content to bask in the nonvocal comfort. Cordelia raked her fingers through Buffy's hair in slow, soft- hearted strokes. The slayer tightened her embrace on the taller girl in response and murmured, "I love you."  
  
Cordelia didn't respond right away, but she kissed the top of Buffy's head, "I love you too."  
  
The brunette couldn't see it, but Buffy radiated with a smile  
  
~*~  
  
Day faded into night as Willow heard a knock on the door to her room. She peeled her eyes from a captive read on demons that possess the mind and offered absently, "Come in."  
  
"Hey," The person greeted.  
  
Willow turned her head, "Buffy. Hey. How was your time with Cordelia?"  
  
Buffy beamed and answered dreamily, "She loves me."  
  
The redhead smiled in return, glad that her best friend was happy again, "I found something on what you asked me. Sorry to ruin the mood, but I thought you might want to get in on this."  
  
"What is it?" The slayer questioned.  
  
Willow turned back to her laptop, and began to read what peaked her attention, "Bayemon. A demon that has the capability of seizing one's mind and using their insecurities to torment the host. They have the ability to take on any appearance they so fit, and use the human guise to throw off the victim's perception. Most go after the strong-willed minds to challenge themselves. They generally come to the person when they are a child, and mold the impressionable mind of the youth." The hacker looked to see Buffy's reaction, and when she noticed the hard stare at her computer, Willow continued, "Nearly all their victims can't bear the emotional turmoil, but most that do are scarred forever."  
  
Buffy was silent for a moment, taking it all in, but she had to ask, "Will Sally come back, Willow? Will she come back to try and harm Cordelia again?"  
  
"Depends on the demon," Willow answered softly, "the vicious type would stop at nothing to get their prey, but there are others where they respect the person if they survived. Those kind would bask in their victory that they had driven their target over the edge. It all depends on what type Sally is."  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, in Cordelia's hospital room, someone was watching as Cordelia attempted to sleep. Their movement in the room was indistinguishable to the human hear, and the slow, effortless walk turned predatory as the person stood over the brunette lying in the bed. The mysterious visitor gleamed at how fragile Cordelia was, and slowly placed a hand over the ex- cheerleader's mouth. Cordelia's eyes widened in alarm, but when her gaze settled on the unwanted guest, she looked downright frightened.  
  
"Hello, Cordy." The person smiled tightly, "you miss me?"  
  
Cordelia was frozen, absolutely paralyzed with fear.  
  
"Now, I'm going to take my hand off your mouth as long as you promise not to scream," The unwanted guest offered apathetically, "not like it would matter in my case. No one can see me but you."  
  
The brunette nodded and when the person placed her hand by her side once more, Cordelia whispered, "Sally."  
  
"Yes, honey. That would be me," Sally smirked.  
  
"You. you were suppose to be gone," Cordelia mumbled, "I set you free."  
  
The raven-haired woman let out a hollow laugh, "That you did. Of course, your bitch of a girlfriend had to go and ruin that. Saving you in the nick of time right, Cordy? Must be a nice feeling that someone would care that much about you. However, you live so that means I still exist."  
  
"No," the brunette gasped in horror.  
  
Sally smiled cockily, "Oh yes."  
  
"It was all for nothing then. All for nothing," Cordelia muttered sadly.  
  
The cold-hearted woman rolled her eyes, "God, you are so pathetic."  
  
Cordelia was silent for awhile before croaking, "It doesn't matter what you say because Buffy loves me."  
  
"I noticed that," Sally glared, "how long do you think that will last? She'll eventually tire of you and throw you away like she did Angel."  
  
"She loves me," the ex cheerleader repeated softly.  
  
Sally smiled sardonically, "You mentioned that, Cor."  
  
Cordelia began shaking her head and mumbled repeatedly, "You won't get to me this time."  
  
"Shut up," the raven-haired woman snarled, "keep this up and they'll send you to the mental hospital." Sally paused, "Actually, that doesn't sound all that bad."  
  
"No," Cordelia whispered, "leave me alone, Sally."  
  
Sally smiled again, "I'll be seeing you around, Cor."  
  
With that said, Sally departed from Cordelia's hospital room. She simply vanished before the brunette's very dazed stare.  
  
~*~  
  
Back at Willow's house, Buffy and Willow were still discussing Bayemon. Buffy was pacing the room like a cage animal, and Willow tried her best to calm the slayer down.  
  
"What if Sally. Bayemon or whatever is there right now, Willow?" Buffy demanded, "what if she's there right now, picking up where she left off with Cordelia? I should be there."  
  
Willow sighed, "Visiting hours, Buffy. They are long over, and Cordelia can handle herself."  
  
"I know she can," the blonde relented, "it's just. Sally gets under her skin so easily and knows how to push the right buttons. and I'm not there protecting her."  
  
Willow got out of her chair, and went to comfort her obviously distressed friend, "She'll be fine, Buffy."  
  
"I. I just hate this," Buffy admitted, her eyes watering slightly, "I finally get her, and I might lose her all over again."  
  
"You won't lose her, Buffy. We'll make sure of that," Willow stated while hugging the blonde.  
  
~*~  
  
The next day, Dr. Stevenson walked to his patient's room. Opening the door, he saw the occupant of room 217 watching the television with no expression on her face.  
  
"Miss Chase," the doctor greeted.  
  
Cordelia turned her attention from her thoughts and glanced toward the door, "Hey, doctor."  
  
"I see you're looking fine," the man smiled while looking at her charts, "in fact, I think you might be released today."  
  
"Great, " the former cheerleader beamed, but it never reached her eyes.  
  
Dr. Stevenson looked at this beautiful young woman and wondered why she be so despondent, "We'll get everything set, and you might leave in an hour. Do you have someone that can pick you up?"  
  
"Yeah," Cordelia answered softly.  
  
"Okay," the doctor headed towards the door, "I'm going to make you an appointment so we can check up on your recovery."  
  
The young woman nodded, acknowledging what her doctor said.  
  
~*~  
  
Buffy entered Cordelia's room to see the lovely brunette wearing everything but a shirt. The blonde slayer just stared at Cordelia's ample breasts contained by a bra, her mouth watering a bit. Then she heard fingers snapping and she quickly brought her gaze to the ex-cheerleader's smirking face.  
  
"You're getting discharged today?" Buffy asked the obvious question.  
  
"Yeah, and thank heavens because I don't think I could deal wearing hospital apparel another day." Cordelia answered with an expression of relief.  
  
Buffy chuckled at the brunette's dramatic act and walked towards Cordelia as the other woman was pulling a shirt over her head. The slayer wrapped her arms around Cordelia while kissing her neck.  
  
"How was your night?" Buffy asked cautiously, slightly worried Sally made an appearance.  
  
Cordelia smiled fell from her face, but Buffy never saw it, "Fine."  
  
Buffy asked slowly, "What about."  
  
The brunette sighed, "Sally? Yeah, she showed up last night." Buffy's arms tensed around Cordelia's slender waist but Cordelia continued, "I really don't want to talk about it."  
  
The blonde's jaw clenched, "Cor."  
  
Cordelia turned around to face the smaller girl and stated, clearly avoiding the line of conversation, "My ride is here."  
  
Looking over Buffy's shoulder, Cordelia saw the duty nurse with a wheelchair. Buffy turned around and saw the other woman too, but gazed at Cordelia again to give her a small peck on her lips, "We should go then."  
  
~*~  
  
About an half an hour later, Buffy and Cordelia entered Cordelia's apartment. They were both hesitant to go in, considering Cordelia's attempted suicide in the living room and Buffy rescuing her in the nick of time.  
  
"I. I cleaned up the place a bit," Buffy offered softly, noticing that Cordelia was looking at the clean living room.  
  
"Thanks." Cordelia replied absently. There was a long silence before Cordelia shattered it, "You want to do something tonight?"  
  
Buffy looked at the taller woman, "Like a date?"  
  
"Well yeah," the brunette replied, "we kind of never got to that."  
  
"I would love to spend time with you, Cordelia," Buffy answered while staring straight into Cordelia's eyes.  
  
Without realizing, the former head cheerleader strolled towards Buffy with swift precision. Buffy gasped at the speed Cordelia just utilized and before long, the lithe brunette cupped Buffy's cheek lovingly.  
  
"You know," Cordelia breathed, "you're the one that started this relationship. You instigated the first kiss which led to our first time." The brunette paused, her thumb grazing over Buffy's cheekbone, "Maybe I should take the lead this time."  
  
Buffy looked absolutely estastic as Cordelia leaned into kiss her. It was one of those sensual kisses that you'd never forget in your lifetime, and Buffy's toes curled in response. Cordelia's tongue ran over Buffy's lips with a ghost of an invitation that the blonde willingly gave into. Their tongues engaged in a graceful duel not fighting for dominance, but working together knowing their destination takes teamwork. 


	4. Pillow Talk

~*~  
  
Buffy just couldn't wipe the stupid grin on her face. She was so happy she thought she might burst from pure joy. The blonde turned to her side and was pleasantly surprised to find Cordelia staring back at her with a grin of her own. The warm afternoon sun glowing over her tanned skin. Buffy thought for a brief moment that she was in heaven and Cordelia was her angel.  
  
Bed sheets were wrapped around their nude forms and their heads rested comfortably on soft pillows. They just couldn't stop smiling at each other.  
  
Cordelia lightly ran her fingers down Buffy's arm, stopping at her hand and softly taking the slayer's hand into her own. Buffy retaliated by caressing the brunette's cheek, her index finger paying special attention to Cordelia's mole.  
  
Their legs were tangled under the beige bed sheets, always keeping physical contact between each other.  
  
"You are so beautiful," Buffy whispered.  
  
Cordelia smiled, "Ditto."  
  
"I don't ever want to leave this bed," the blonde responded, her thumb grazing over Cordelia's lower lip.  
  
"Well, you'll have until dusk," Cordelia offered and then an impish grin formed on her lips, "how will we occupy our time until then?"  
  
Buffy chuckled before lightly kissing the brunette's lips. When she pulled back, Buffy smiled, "I will never figure out how you can match my endurance in the bedroom and I'm the Slayer."  
  
The former May Queen shrugged, "I was blessed. What can I say?"  
  
The slayer laughed again, "How is it that you're the only one that makes me laugh?"  
  
"Because I'm funny?" Cordelia offered sweetly, batting her eye lashes for extra emphasis.  
  
"God, you are just too cute," Buffy stated, snuggling closer to the brunette.  
  
Cordelia kissed Buffy's forehead before replying, "Not cute... downright gorgeous."  
  
"Have to agree with you there, Cor," the blonde sighed happily.  
  
However, her happy mood was shattered into tiny jagged pieces as her thoughts roamed to the subject of Sally. The demon showed up last night and it upset Cordelia so much that she didn't even want to talk about. Buffy swore to herself that if she were to ever to meet Sally, her ass will be kicked seven ways to Sunday. That God damn bitch, the blonde internally growled.  
  
Cordelia noticed that her lover was in deep thought, and judging by the scowl marring Buffy's features... it was about Sally. The ex-cheerleader tensed at the mere thought of her tormenter.  
  
The slayer felt Cordelia stiffen in her light embrace. She asked worriedly, "What's wrong, Cor?"  
  
"You're thinking about her," the brunette answered in lamented sigh.  
  
Buffy looked shocked, "How did you know?"  
  
"You were glowering. You've been making that face every time her name is mentioned," Cordelia responded.  
  
"She came by last night," Buffy said, "what did she say to you?"  
  
Cordelia pleaded, "Can we not do this now?"  
  
"Cor, she's a demon," the blonde stated.  
  
The tactless woman's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "What?"  
  
"She's a demon, Cor." Buffy repeated. Noting that Cordelia wanted her to elaborate, "A demon by the name of Bayemon. It's preys on the mind of humans at a young age and stays with them until their target breaks down."  
  
"Like what I did?" Cordelia asked softly. Buffy nodded so the brunette continued, "So she wanted me to kill myself along?"  
  
Cordelia's body convulsing on the couch flashed back in Buffy's mind, "Yeah."  
  
"Bitch," the ex-cheerleader grumbled.  
  
"So what did she say?" Buffy returned to her first line of questioning.  
  
The taller woman's chocolate eyes glazed over for a brief second before answering, "She said that I'll see her soon."  
  
Upon hearing Cordelia's words, Buffy thought about how many ways she was going to kill Sally.  
  
Stakes. Traditional in her line of work but not as effective on demons as they are to vampires.  
  
Knifes. Goodie, Buffy thought with glee.  
  
Crossbows. Not as personal as I want it to be, the blonde contemplated.  
  
Beating Sally to a bloody pulp. Sounds like fun, Buffy considered with an inward grin.  
  
Blunt objects. Could go well with the whole 'beating Sally to a bloody pulp' idea, the slayer added to her train of thoughts.  
  
Buffy was brought out of her visuals of Sally getting her ass kicked when she realized Cordelia was talking to her.  
  
"Where did you go?" Cordelia asked amusement.  
  
"Just thinking," the blonde responded ambiguously while crawling on top of the former cheerleader.  
  
"You think?" Cordelia joked. In return, she was lightly smacked on the arm by the blonde in question.  
  
Buffy smiled, "I'm offended." Then something feral glinted in her eyes, "I think you should pay for that remark."  
  
The blonde was drawing on the taller woman's toned abdomen with the tips of her fingers, gaining great pleasure as the muscles underneath tightened under her touch.  
  
Her nails ran up towards Cordelia's breasts, slowly spiraling to the other girl's nipples. Once she reached her destination, the slayer gave a soft pinch, which in response caused Cordelia to gasp.  
  
This was torture, Cordelia thought, but good torture. Can there be good torture? If there was, then this would be it. The brunette's thoughts became jumbled and the only thing that even registered was the primal need for more human contact. That desire for the blonde above her was growing by the minute.  
  
Buffy crawled towards Cordelia to be face to face with the woman she loves. She saw into Cordelia's eyes, and noted the other woman's eyes were darkened with an ardor of hunger. Hunger for her, which made Buffy's spine tingle.  
  
The blonde tugged at Cordelia's ear lobe with her teeth before casually running her tongue on the edge of the brunette's ear.  
  
Cordelia felt goose bumps rise on her arms as she felt the sensation of Buffy's tongue cascading over the tip of her ear. The little minx knew Cordelia's ears were a weakness for the brunette. The former May Queen will have to pay Buffy back for that one.  
  
When the other girl pulled back, Cordelia used the opening to her advantage as she grabbed behind Buffy's neck to pull her into a smoldering kiss. Cordelia vaguely registered the moan that escape Buffy's lips, but was too caught up in the moment to care.  
  
Slowly, Cordelia's kisses trailed to Buffy's collarbone, purposely taking her time.  
  
Buffy reeled her head back as the brunette twirled her tongue in the nook of Buffy's collarbone. The blonde let out an audible whimper at the contact. The collarbone was her weakness as Cordelia's ear is hers.  
  
Somehow, the ex-cheerleader switched positions, placing the blonde underneath her. Cordelia's lips formed a salacious grin at the blonde slayer. Buffy's heart pounded in anticipation.  
  
Cordelia's tongue circled around Buffy's navel several times before softly places kisses lower down the blonde's body.  
  
In a dawdling pace that was so agonizingly slow, Cordelia made her way to the apex of Buffy's thighs. Smiling like a Cheshire cat after she decided to prolong Buffy's torture, Cordelia drew lines with her tongue on the blonde's inner thigh. Delighted to no extent as she heard Buffy begging for the brunette to touch her. 


	5. The Connection

TITLE: Connection  
  
NAME: corrupt-blondie  
  
E-MAIL: queenMISFIT@hotmail.com  
  
RATING PG-13  
  
SUMMARY: All things have to come to an end.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything besides Sally.  
  
ARCHIVING: Anywhere as long as I know where it's being placed.  
  
FEEDBACK: Would make my day.  
  
A/N: This will be my last installment of the Sally series. I know the series title is not creative I was stumped.  
  
~*~  
  
Night had fallen when the couple showered and got dressed. They had to share the shower because of water purposes, but neither were complaining. Cordelia reached out for Buffy's hand as they left the brunette's apartment, which the slayer took with a smile.  
  
They walked the streets of Sunnydale in a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's company. The stars twinkled merrily in the night sky and the streetlights let off an ember glow on the pavement. At that moment, there were no worries between Cordelia and Buffy. There was no Sally, no vampires, demons or any stress-inducing situation.  
  
For once, it was just about Buffy and Cordelia.  
  
It was a refreshing feeling for both young women.  
  
~*~  
  
Sally glared as she saw the couple stroll down the street without a care in the world. She hated the slayer with a rage that churned in her stomach. Hated her for making the demon feel happy. Sally now regretted making the connection with Cordelia, even if it was for the best of the job. Cordelia never felt true self-loathing until Sally forced those types of feelings on the former cheerleader. Making the connection was the only way for Cordelia to be manipulated the way Sally wanted.  
  
Now though, the slayer was ruining years of hard work. The dedication and patience of ripping pieces of Cordelia away to be forever lost in oblivion. The skill of making a masterpiece that Sally had to literately sweat blood for. Cordelia was the demon's chef d'oeuvre when the brunette was on the brink of her death.  
  
Yes, Cordelia did die or Sally wouldn't have left.  
  
The years of degradation Sally had to go through to get Cordelia to take her life. Where the demon actually almost cared for her prey. It was a horrible sensation that Sally went through. The feelings that led her to almost care about Cordelia and at one point made her regret what she was doing to her prey.  
  
Those were the times Sally felt horribly sick when she felt the human emotions coursing through her body.  
  
Sally sneered at the couple one last time for there audacity of not worrying about what she could do do to them in an instant.  
  
She thought in a snarl, Did they forget about me and what I'm capable of?  
  
~*~  
  
"I'm going to drop you off at Willow's while I patrol okay?" Buffy said.  
  
Cordelia replied, "Yeah."  
  
"I just don't want you to get hurt on patrol and Willow can watch just in case she shows up," the blonde explained as she glanced at Cordelia.  
  
The taller woman detected a serious amount of hatred on the word 'she' and already knew Buffy was talking about. Cordelia placed a light kiss on rhe slayer's lips after saying, "I'll think I'll manage, Buffy."  
  
Cordelia idly wondered if is was a crime to be this deliriously happy while relishing the feel of Buffy's lips on her own.  
  
Buffy smiled, having forgot about Sally for a little as they continued walking.  
  
Their hands never unlaced the whole time until they reached Willow's house.  
  
~*~  
  
"You two are beyond cute," Willow gushed long after Buffy left.  
  
Cordelia looked up from the Time magazine Willow lent her. It was either that or National Geographic which Cordelia knew would put her to sleep. The brunette somewhat reddened at the novice witch's comment.  
  
Willow continued on though, "It took her like forever to let go of you when you guys hugged. Then with the smoochies."  
  
"Have you been drinking coffee, Will?" Cordelia asked suspiciously.  
  
The redhead wrinkled her nose in thought, "No. I had some tea though before you came over."  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes before returning back to the magazine.  
  
"Hello, Cordelia," a voice laced with venom purred, "I hope you haven't forgotten about me"  
  
The brunette stiffened, hoping that if she didn't look than the raven- haired woman wouldn't be standing over her.  
  
"Aw. You don't like me anymore?" Sally asked in mock pain.  
  
Cordelia laid there rigid, looking only at the magazine that she wasn't reading.  
  
Sally leaned in further, her lips grazing over the ex cheerleader's ear, "I'll make you remember me, Cordelia."  
  
"Earth to Cordelia!" Willow's voice broke through and caught Cordelia's attention, "Was is her?"  
  
Cordelia looked around, her head turning in jerky movements to try an locate Sally, but the demon was no where to be found.  
  
"I know it will be hard for you, Cordy, but could you tell me about her?" Willow asked cautiously.  
  
After the brunette calmed herself down, she tried to focus on Willow, "What do you want to know?"  
  
~*~  
  
Buffy was worried.  
  
Buffy was worried about leaving Cordelia without her protection. Her girlfriend is an easy target for Sally, even if Willow was there.  
  
Sally.  
  
The name spurns some deep-seeded hatred that rages in her stomach.  
  
The same hatred that see feels towards vampires, demons, and anything else she had to fight against nightly.  
  
But this kind animosity boils her blood to the point that a fuse might blow and Buffy would snap in her rage.  
  
Because it's personal.  
  
This demon isn't going after Buffy like many other have done.  
  
This demon was smarter because it was going for that pain instead if the kill.  
  
This demon probably didn't realize that no other thing has lived to tell the tale of having going against The Slayer through the people she cared most about.  
  
Buffy had just found Cordelia. Their relationship was just starting and the blonde wanted to find out where it leads. She wanted it more than anything.  
  
For this reason, and many others, Sally must die.  
  
The blonde slayer sensed a vampire before Buffy grinned with something akin darkness dancing in her hazel eyes.  
  
Oh, Sally will die for what she did to Cordelia.  
  
Buffy will make sure of it.  
  
~*~  
  
"Let me get this straight," Willow said, "you two are connected?"  
  
Cordelia stared at the redhead in surprise. Out of all the things Cordelia had said about Sally. All the dark secrets she has kept for so long. The drugs. The alcohol. All the pain that has constantly been in the former May Queen's life. Willow had to pick that tiny little information out of her whole sordid tale that was her life?  
  
"Yeah," Cordelia replied, "my parents weren't there for Christmas the fifth time in a row and I was lonely. She told me that if I connected with her, that I would never be lonely again. Little did I know."  
  
Willow looked like she was onto something though, "You shared your pain?"  
  
The brunette nodded.  
  
The novice witch asked, "Your memories?"  
  
"I would have nightmares of people being emotionally tortured sometimes," Cordelia admitted softly.  
  
"What about your emotions?" Willow pushed.  
  
Cordelia seemed unsure, "I guess. I never really thought about it."  
  
"You felt negative emotions more so than before you connected, yes?" Willow inquired.  
  
Cordelia nodded again.  
  
Willow looked victorious and the brunette was still left at what she was getting at.  
  
"A connection is both ways Cordelia," Willow stated sagely, "Sally had to have felt your emotions like you have felt hers."  
  
The ex cheerleader looked at Willow in shock at the revelation.  
  
"She must have went crazy when she felt all those emotions," Willow said to herself mostly, "The happiness you shared with Xander and you now share with Buffy. The love you have for Buffy..."  
  
"Your saying that she was repulsed by love and fed off my depression?" Cordelia offered as she caught on.  
  
Willow replied, "All because of that connection."  
  
~*~  
  
After fighting the vampire longer than necessary, Buffy dusted off her leather jacket. He was a good release of pent up anger, Buffy thought with slight glee.  
  
That's when she heard another voice interrupting her thoughts.  
  
"Hello, Buffy," the woman said with a smirk,  
  
The blonde quirked her brow, "Who are you?"  
  
"We have a mutual friend you and I," the woman smiled, her teeth bared in the moonlight. It looked purely devilish and it went well with the long ebony hair and her ghostly white face. She looked she was nearing death's door.  
  
Then it clicked.  
  
"Sally," Buffy snarled, her eyes darkening with bubbling rage coursing through her veins a fiery pace.  
  
The demon chuckled, "You know me then."  
  
Buffy tightened her fists so much her nails were digging into her skin.  
  
Sally noticed this and her smile vanished into expression that could only be described as livid, "You really ruined my plans, Slayer."  
  
"Make other ones then," Buffy seethed through her clenched jaw.  
  
The raven-haired demon smiled a cryptic smirk, like she knew something Buffy didn't, "I don't leave anything unfinished, Slayer. Cordelia will be my masterpiece and when she dies, the victory well be more sweeter because she will have died twice by my hands. How many people can say they got to relive that kind of fun?"  
  
"Did you just appear to gloat?" Buffy asked as she got on the balls of her feet, readying herself for the fight, "Or are you going to fight me?"  
  
The demon cackled, "I thought you'd never ask, Slayer. I've been itching for a kill since you brought Cordelia back from the dead."  
  
Buffy threw the first punch. A right jab to Sally's face followed by and uppercut. The demon wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth as she laughed.  
  
"This is going to be fun," Buffy stated darkly.  
  
Sally punched Buffy in the stomach and kneed the blonde in the face as she doubled over.  
  
"That it will," Sally agreed.  
  
~*~  
  
Willow's eyes widened as Cordelia suddenly fell on her bed after slightly being airborne.  
  
"What's happening?" Willow screamed in panic when she saw Cordelia spit blood from her mouth.  
  
"Sally is getting her ass kicked," Cordelia stated after she flew into the air and crashed into the wall.  
  
~*~  
  
Buffy let out a series of punches. All of them connected and it seemed like either Sally was a horrible fighter, or the demon was holding back.  
  
After a roundhouse kick that sent Sally flying into a nearby tree, Buffy was getting restless in this one-sided fight.  
  
"As much as I love kicking your ass, why are you not fighting back?" Buffy asked as she kicked the raven-haired demon in the stomach hard.  
  
Sally coughed up more blood, but did a sweep kick and knocked Buffy flat on her ass.  
  
"Who says I wasn't?" Sally smiled with her blood filled mouth.  
  
~*~  
  
Cordelia screamed in pain as she felt her fingers popping out of there sockets.  
  
Willow was panicking because she didn't know what to do. There wasn't anything she could do.  
  
~*~  
  
Buffy held her foot firmly in place on Sally's left shoulder and she grasped the demon's left arm. The blonde had already popped four out of five fingers and was about to break the thumb.  
  
"I'm going to make you suffer for what you've done to Cordelia," Buffy growled, "Once your gone, she's going to be happy. She's going to be happy with me because I'm going to love her and make her forget the pain you caused her."  
  
Sally sucked in much needed air before laughing maniacally. Buffy really doesn't how wrong she was.  
  
The slayer didn't allow Sally to laugh for too long though as she ripped Sally's thumb right off.  
  
~*~  
  
The redhead attempted to wrap Cordelia's thumbless hand, but it proved difficult as Cordelia was thrown across the room again. The former May Queen crashed into Willow's computer desk, breaking it with her fall.  
  
"My...ribs," Cordelia gasped as she wrapped her left arm around her chest.  
  
Willow sprinted to her high school nemesis turned somewhat friend and finished up the bandaging quickly.  
  
That's when the novice witch heard the snap and Cordelia screaming in gut- wrenching agony as she saw her bone poke through her skin.  
  
~*~  
  
Sally cradled her broken arm as she head butted Buffy with precision. When Buffy looked back at her with unchecked fury, the demon spit blood on the slayer's face.  
  
Buffy threw a left hook across Sally's cheekbone followed by a sweep quick. When Sally was lying the ground, Buffy quickly grabbed for the demon's ankle, which she quickly broken with ease.  
  
~*~  
  
Cordelia was trying to hold back her tears from the excruciating pain. They burned in her throat, begging for sweet release, but Cordelia stifled it.  
  
"Tell," Cordelia heaved, "Buffy is wasn't," the brunette breathed again, but her mouth quivered, "her fault and," Cordelia took a deep breath before finishing her short but long-winded monologue, "that I love her."  
  
Before Willow could even tell Cordelia that she would follow her wishes, the redhead watched as Cordelia's neck bent at an unnatural angle.  
  
An audible crack was heard in the silence and Willow just sat there numb.  
  
She only saw Cordelia's glassy eyes that were seeing everything yet nothing at all. Like there was this faraway spot the brunette was staring at in peace. Despite the horrible pain she had suffered, Cordelia still manage to look serene before she died.  
  
~*~  
  
Buffy opened the door to Willow's room quickly when she heard Willow's cries. She had felt something was wrong ever since she killed Sally. That demon died laughing.  
  
She saw Willow sitting on her bed, tears cascading freely.  
  
Then she saw her girlfriend.  
  
Her love.  
  
Rested against the wall with a broken neck and the other injuries she had inflicted on Sally.  
  
Buffy didn't understand.  
  
How?  
  
Willow muttered after a sob, "They were connected."  
  
No. It can't be.  
  
Please God no.  
  
THE END 


End file.
